


ready to cook with fire

by CapriciousCrab



Series: Bingo fic 2018 [3]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chef Phil, Cooking Lessons, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Non-youtuber Dan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-23 06:53:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16153886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapriciousCrab/pseuds/CapriciousCrab
Summary: “Cooking doesn't have to be boring. Recipes are just a guide, meant to give you the bare bones of a meal. Have fun with it! Experiment!”He turns and looks at Dan then, a smile brightening his face. “After all, who knows what might happen when you try something new?”OrThat time when unwanted cooking lessons end up being the best gift ever





	ready to cook with fire

**Author's Note:**

> written for the PhandomFicFests Bingo fest
> 
> prompts filled are:  
> cooking lessons  
> regular job

 

The Cookery School sits at the outer edge of Marylebone, next to the Little Portland Cafe.  
There's a discreet sign above the entrance that looks welcoming, but Dan would much rather be sat in Hyde Park, feeding the birds along the Serpentine instead of learning how to cook and making a fool of himself in the process.  
  
He's ridiculously nervous, his hands clammy as he stands outside the door and looks in through the narrow glass window. It's a smaller room than he'd been expecting, only three stations arranged in a semi-circle around the larger one in the middle.  
  
He can see a man stood there in the middle, arranging the items on his crowded workstation as he bops his head in a rhythm only he can hear. There's an overwhelming number of items there; bowls and knives and measuring...things. He doesn't know if they have a fancy name and he knows his Nan would roll her eyes if she could see him right now.  
  
And that's why Dan is here, isn't it? Because Nan, worried about his distressing habit of burning anything he touches and his increasing reliance on takeaways, had purchased these cooking lessons for him in the hope that he could be taught.  
  
He'd whined a little. He was allowed cause it was Nan and well, she tolerated more from him than anyone else would.  
  
“Nana, that's very sweet of you. But I don't really want to take cooking lessons. I like ordering in.” he'd said with his best winsome smile. He had batted his lashes at her and even pulled out the puppy dog eyes, but Nan was no fool and was wise to his ways.  
  
“You need to be able to cook for yourself, darling,” she'd said, patting his cheek before giving it a gentle pinch. “I worry about you, Daniel.”  
  
He's never been able to say no to his Nan.  
  
So now he's here, watching this bloke in his chef whites do some kind of dance move that looks like he's having a medical emergency. He's tall and slim and when he flails his long arms in a strange pattern, Dan can't help but snicker.  
  
Loudly.  
  
The man looks up and freezes, shocked into stillness by Dan's presence at the door before he tosses back his head and laughs. He smiles and waves at Dan, beckoning him into the room.  
  
“The door's open,” he calls before he returns his attention to his supplies on his table.  
  
So Dan takes a deep breath and opens the door.  
  
**  
  
His name is Phil and Dan thinks that this class is the most fun he's had in, well, forever.  
  
They're making stir-fry. It's a basic recipe, simple even, but Phil says that it's a great way to practice their knife skills. So they slice and chop and dice, turning whole vegetables into colorful, edible confetti.  
  
There are just three of them here for this lesson but the room is noisy and bright in a way that can only be ascribed to Phil and the way he teaches. It's not serious and stuffy the way Dan had thought it would be; instead, it's laughter and jokes and gentle teasing.  
  
It's Phil.  
  
Dan watches out of the corner of his eye as he walks between the stations, listening to Phil's voice as he calls out instructions or advice. It's soft but unexpectedly deep, and it makes him shiver a little as he fumbles with his knives.  
  
“Dan, is everything alright? You didn't cut yourself, did you?”  
  
“Oh-oh, no I'm fine,” he stutters, a little overwhelmed to be the center of Phil's attention. There's something about the way Phil looks at him, his blue eyes crinkled up as he smiles, that makes Dan feel a bit breathless.  
  
That breathlessness increases when Phil comes up behind him, placing his hand over his on the knife.  
  
“Tuck the fingers holding your pepper underneath, like this,” Phil says, holding his hand up so Dan can see. “It keeps those fingertips out of the way of a wayward chop. Then you can cut like so-”  
  
He holds Dan's hand and guides it through the motion, keeping the tip of the blade in connection with the cutting board while he slices through the vegetable. He can feel Phil's breath on his neck and shivers again as goosebumps rise on his arms.  
  
Phil steps away and looks at him for a moment or two before he smiles once more and addresses the room as a whole.  
  
“Great job everyone! Now, let's move on to the rest of the dish.”  
  
**  
  
Phil declares this first lesson a resounding success.  
  
They'd each made their own version of the stir-fry and after the cooking was done they had sat around and shared their creations; moaning in delight over the crisp veggies and tender bites of meat all coated in a silky, flavorful sauce.  
  
Phil had praised them all highly, nibbling from his plate like a puckish sprite as he talks technique versus creativity.  
  
“Part of being a successful cook is being flexible,” he says, standing to take the plates over to the sink. “Cooking doesn't have to be boring. Recipes are just a guide, meant to give you the bare bones of a meal. Have fun with it! Experiment!”  
  
He turns and looks at Dan then, a smile brightening his face. “After all, who knows what might happen when you try something new?”  
  
“Now, who's going to help me wash these dishes?”  
  
Dan can't help but smile back as he gathers plates and bowls and pans, bringing them to Phil who's still stood next to the sink. They wash and dry in companionable silence while the room gets put to rights, then Phil turns to address them all again.  
  
“Okay! So what should we try for next week? Any suggestions?”  
  
There's silence for a moment before Dan speaks up.  
  
“How about a roast dinner? You know, something we'd make if we wanted to impress someone?”  
  
He glances over at Phil, hoping he hasn't been too obvious, only to see Phil smiling at him. He can't help but smile back, cheeks warming as he notices the way his classmates roll their eyes good-naturedly at them. He doesn't mind too much and figures Phil must not either when he immediately agrees with Dan's suggestion.  
  
“Oh, that's a lovely idea, Dan!” Phil says, full of that animated excitement he seems to overflow with. “It will be a bit trickier than stir-fry but let's give it a try, yeah? Shall we do chicken or beef?”  
  
“Which do you prefer, Phil?” Jael asks, all smiles and knowing glances in Dan's direction. Dark-haired and a bit cheeky, she has a sly sense of humor that Dan appreciates. “What do you like to make when you want to impress... a friend?”  
  
He can feel the tips of his ears burning and knows that his face must be giving him away as rosy patches bloom on his skin. He ducks his head and hopes it goes unnoticed as he finishes wiping down his workstation.  
  
“Oh, I do love making a good roast chicken” Phil replies. He's scribbling notes on a scratchpad, a list of ingredients needed for the next lesson. “Homemade gravy, crispy roasted potatoes. Even Yorkshires! Don't let traditionalists tell you that you can only eat them with beef!”  
  
They laugh as they gather their things, Phil walking them to the door. Dan hitches his backpack up onto his shoulder as he turns to leave then stops when he feels a hand on his arm. He turns and sucks in a surprised breath.  
  
Phil's there, so close that Dan can see all the colors that make up the beauty of his eyes. For the first time today he looks a little uncertain, his confident demeanor replaced by a shy hesitancy. They stand there in awkward silence for a moment before Phil speaks.  
  
“So, Dan? Um- do you happen to like roast chicken?” he stammers, fingers twisting the buttons on his chef coat nervously.  
  
Dan nods his head in stunned surprise as he realizes what Phil's hinting at, biting his lip before breaking out into a smile that makes his dimple pop. Phil's face lights up when he smiles and as an air of expectancy builds, Dan can't help but think that maybe cooking lessons weren't so bad after all.  
  
**  
  
He stops to grab a coffee before heading into work, taking a moment to call his Nan before getting on the Tube. He scrolls through his contacts and smiles at the newest addition there, before thumbing down to his Nan's face and connecting the call. He sips as he strolls and bubbles over with all the giddy excitement he feels in his stomach.  
  
“Nana? I think I love my cooking lessons--.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!
> 
> you can like/reblog [here](https://capriciouscrab.tumblr.com/post/178634820140/ready-to-cook-with-fire-rating-g-word-count-1)


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